Device for pulling automobiles out of mud-holes.



"F. ERVIN. DEVICE FOR PULLING AUTOMOBILES OUT OF MUD HOLES. APPLICATION FILED MAR 2.19liw Paw Emm N, SAW

FRED JEVIN, 0E SIOUX FALLS, fiUl'JTH DEVIGE E' QE PWLLING' AUTOMOSBELES GUT 401 TBLTUlD-HQLHS.

' Application filed March 2, 1917. Serial No. ltitlllit.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED Envm, a citizen of the United States, residing at ioux Falls, in the county ofll/linnehaha, State of South Dakota, have inventeda new and useful Device for Pulling Automobiles Out of Mud-Holes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

The present invention relates to a device forpulling automobiles out of mud holes, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which emhodies novel features of construction whereby the power of the drive wheels can be utilized, in the most advantageous manner and an automobile readily gotten out of a mud hole by the use of its own power.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which can be readily applied to the automobile, which can be packed in a very small amount of space when not in use, and which is so constructed as to utilize the standard tire chains which are carried by practically all motorists as a part of their regular equipment.

With these and other olcf'ects in View, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description procoeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claim.

For a full understanding; of the invention, reference is to he had to the following; description and accompanying drawing", in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automobile, showing the device as applied thereto and in position for cnehlinrr the rear.

wheels to be moved out of a mud hole when power is applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of? an automobile chassis with the device applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of one of the spreader hers which is utilized to maintain the side chains in a spaced relation. 7

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views oi" the drawings lay so the same reference characters.

to provide a flexible track. element formed with spaced side cables connected at intervals by cross tles, one end oi the fienihle track element being" connected to the tire ofa drive wheel, while the other encl thereof is suitably anchored at the front of the machine, the track element heing adapted to be wound upon the tread of the tire when power is applied to the wheel and serving both to guide the wheel and to admit of the power being applied in the most advantageous manner. Prior devices have been constructed for a similar purpose in which an auxiliary drum is clamped to the huh portion of the wheel and arranged to have a cable wound thereon. With this arrangement the pull upon the cable tends to force the wheel downward, since the connection between the cable and the drum is at a distance above the surface of the ground. Furthermore, the pulling power is increased to such an extent that an excessive strain is placed upon the gearing, with the result that there is grave possibility of injuring the mechanism. ihese objections are overcome "by the present device, in which the flexible track element is secured to the tread portion of the tire, thereby tending to lift the wheel upwardly when power is applied thereto, and also providing a trough-like track for guiding the wheels.

Referring more particularly to the draw-- inns. which show one embodiment of the invention, the reference cha 'acter it desigc nates aconventiounl motor vehicle which is provided with the rear drive Wheels 1 and. front wheels 2. l

l'lnc oi tnc devices is pr 'tcrably provided or each of the drive who ,ers to one end of each of the tire chains siaicl supplemental chains terminating; in loops. 6 oi a suitable site to receive straps l. s indicated quite clearly by Fig. 1, these straps Tare designed to he applied to the tires and rims oi the rear Wheels" therchy connecting the chains to the drive wheels in such a manner that the chains will he wound upon the trcacls of the tires when the wheels are caused to rotate The opposite curl of each or the tire chains 3 is dctachahly connected in some suitable manner, as by means of the fasteners 8 to a pair of tlirorggp till llti

ing chains 9 which are connected at their converging ends to a snap fastener 10 which engages an eye 11 swiveled upon the upper end of a stake 12. The lower end of each of the stakes 12 is pointed and twisted substantially into the form of a convolute so that the stake can be readily screwed into the ground, and a handle 13 is provided at the upper end of each of the stakes for convenience in manipulating the stake When placing it in position or removing it therefrom. The chain sections 3 and 4t are each formed with the usual spaced side chains or cables which are connected at intervals by cross chains or cables, and in order to hold the side chains properly spaced, stiltspreader bars i l: are applied to the short chains 9 and supplemental chains 4:, respectively. These spreader bars 14 are curved to conform to the tread of the tire, and terminate at their ends in loops 14 which loosely engage horizontal links of the side chains, being held against longitudinal movement upon the side chains by engagement with the vertical links thereof.

The straps 7 are designed to be applied to the rear or drive wheels 1, as indicated by Fig. 1, and the anchoring stakes 12 arranged just to one side of the corresponding front Wheels 2. The side chains of the members 3 and lare maintained in a properly spaced relation by the spreader bars 14, so that What may be termed a trough-shaped track is provided for the rear Wheels 1. 'i'l hen power is applied to the rear Wheels, the chains are mounted upon the treads of the tires and the pull of the chains exerted in such manner as to have a tendency to lift the Wheels out of the mud hole. 'lhe steering Wheels 2 are initially turned to bring the vehicle into alineinent with the chains 3 and 4-, and are again straighten out as soon as this is accomplished. llhis arrangement en ables the vehicle to be pulled out of any mud hole, provided the straps 5 can be applied to the tops of the drive wheels, and the device can be very conveniently carried, since it packs in a very small amount of space when not in use, the regular tire chains which are always carried by motorists constituting a large part of the device.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein described device for pulling automobiles out of the mud, including, in combination with an automobile tire chain formed with side chains and cross links, of

a similar conrplemental chain length de-' ta chably coupled to one end of the tire chain, a still spreader bar extending transversely across the supplemental chain length for holding the side chains in a properly spaced relation, attaching means for securing the end of the supplemental chain length to the periphery of an automobile Wheel, a pair of convergingside chains detachably connected to the opposite end of the tire chain, a stiff spreader bar extending transversely between the flared ends of the converging chains, the spreader bars being curved to correspond to the curvature of the tire, an anchor stake, and means for connecting the converging chains to the anchor stake.

In testimony whereof li have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED ERVIN.

Witnesses:

CLARK lB. 'ilvnncaatr, N. N. Coon,

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